Qualifying Information/Times/TV

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, February 27 at 6:40pm/et, TV-SPEED, no re-air scheduled;
AND live via radio at PRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio.

RACE RUNDOWNnews and links

Kyle Busch wins at Las Vegas: #18-Kyle Busch won the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for his 1st win of 2009 and 13th career win. Busch officially won from the pole, but started in the back before the green flag due to an engine change, but record books will show his starting position as 1st. Busch is the youngest driver to wein at Las Vegas, 23 years, 9 months, 29 days. #33-Bowyer finished 2nd followed by #31-Burton, #00-Reutimann [best career finish], #96-Labonte [first top 5 since Martinsville in Oct 2006], #24-Gordon [with a tire torn left front fender], #16-Biffle, #83-Vickers, #26-McMurray and #88-Earnhardt Jr. #17-Kenseth, who won the first two race to start the season, did not win a third in a row, blew an engine early finshed 43rd. #99-Edwards was 4th with 2 laps to go and lost the engine [the third Roush engine] and finished 17th. There were 16 lead changes among 12 drivers and 14 record caution flags for 66 record laps.
See race results, awards, laps led, cautions, attendence and more on my Las Vegas Race Results page.(3-1-2009)

Racing Resources Says …
* Las Vegas native Kyle Busch won the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch was the pole winner but dropped to the rear, under penalty, for an engine change prior to the start. He is the first pole winner to win at Las Vegas.
* Busch posted his 13th career Sprint Cup victory in 153 races. All 13 wins have come at different tracks. Busch's last victory came at Watkins Glen in August 2008, 17 races ago.
* Busch scored his first Las Vegas victory in six races there. He became the eighth different race winner in 12 Las Vegas races.
* The 14 cautions set a track record; the old track record of 11 was set in 2008. The number of caution laps was also a new track record [66].
* Crew chief Steve Addington posted his ninth career Cup victory in 148 races. All nine of his crew chief victories have come with Busch.
* This is the first victory for Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas. Roush Fenway Racing leads all teams with six wins at Las Vegas. Hendrick Motorsports has four.
* Jeff Gordon leads the Cup standings for the first time since Atlanta on Oct. 28, 2007 (42 races ago). He leads second-place Clint Bowyer by 18 points.
* Bowyer (second) extended a 76-race streak of running at the finish that began at Homestead in November 2006. Bowyer's last DNF came at Phoenix on Nov. 12, 2006, when he finished 33rd due to oil pump failure.
* David Reutimann, who finished fourth, scored his first career top-5 finish.
* Bobby Labonte, who finished fifth, posted his first top-5 since finishing third at Martinsville in 2006 (78 races between).
* Joey Logano (13th) was the highest-finishing rookie contender among the three rookies in the race.
* Roush Fenway had three engine failures in the race: Matt Kenseth, David Ragan and Carl Edwards, tying most engine DNFs for Roush in a race (set at Atlanta in March 2003 and Talladega in April 1998).
* The top 10 consisted of three Fords, four Chevrolets and three Toyotas. Kasey Kahne, who finished 11th, was the highest-finishing Dodge.(ESPN.com)(3-2-2009)

Race Fast Facts - Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Kyle Busch won the Shelby 427, his 13th victory in 153 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in 2009.
This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in six races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch is the first driver to win the Shelby 427 from the pole.
His last win came on Aug. 10, 2008 at Watkins Glen International.
This marks the fifth consecutive season that Kyle Busch has won races in all three of NASCAR’s national series. He swept NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck races at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 21.
This is the first NASCAR Sprint Cup win for Joe Gibbs Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Clint Bowyer (second) posted his first top-10 finish in four races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is his second top-10 finish in 2009.
Jeff Burton (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 12 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Jeff Gordon leads the point standings by 18 points over Clint Bowyer.
Jeff Gordon led his 20,000th lap to rank seventh in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. Gordon now has led 20,006 laps.
Fourteen caution periods sets a record for the Shelby 427. Sixty six caution laps also is a race record.
Joey Logano (13th) was the highest finishing rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(3-1-2009)

Five engine changes...to the back: #18-Kyle Busch blew a motor in his Toyota during Friday's practice session, changed the engine, then ran a pole-winning lap of 185.995 mph to knock his big brother off the pole. #2-Kurt Busch ran a lap at 185.707 mph. But under NASCAR rules, Kyle Busch will have to drop to the back of the field at the start of Sunday's race. Third-place qualifier Jimmie Johnson will slide onto the front row next to Kurt Busch during the warm-up laps. #00-David Reutimann and #47-Marcos Ambrose qualified fourth and fifth, but also had to change their motors after their laps and will drop to the back of the field. #83-Brian Vickers, who won the pole last week at California but had to forfeit it because of an engine change, and his teammate #82-Scott Speed also switched motors Friday. In all, five Toyota teams switched motors Friday.(AP/ESPN)(2-27-2009)

Race Coverage of the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2009.
TV: FOX at 4:30 pm/et; pre-race show at 3:30 pm/et
Radio: PRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
SPEED, Thursday, March 5 at 12:00pm/et;

Saturday first practice for the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is over, the top 5:
#88-Earnhardt Jr. 181.733
#5-Martin 181.561
#16-Biffle 181.561
#18-Busch 181.281
#17-Kenseth 181.275
slowest: #13-Papis 176.108 and #55-Waltrip 176.499
no speed: #82-Speed [won the pole for the Nationwide race]
incidents: #20-Logano spun a and hit the wall with the right front, but will not go to a backup car.
For practice speeds, average speeds, laps run, see the Practice Speeds Page.(2-28-2009)

Kyle Busch wins Las Vegas pole..but: #18-Kyle Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a lap of 185.995mph for his 1st pole of the season and 5th career pole. BUT since the team changed engines after losing an engine during practice, will have to fall to the rear of the field before the start of the race on Sunday. Starting 2nd will be #2-Kurt Busch, followed by #48-Jimmie Johnson [who will move up to the pole position], #00-Jimmie Johnson, #47-Marcos Ambrose, #39-Ryan Newman, #9-Kasey Kahne, #5-Mark Martin, #29-Kevin Harvick and #14-Tony Stewart. The top twelve cars all broke the previous track record of 184.856mph, set by Kahne in March 2007.
The non Top-35 drivers who made the race: #14-Tony Stewart, #25-Brad Keselowski, #78-Regan Smith, #44-AJ Allmendinger, #87-Joe Nemechek. #13-Max Papis, #71-David Gilliland and #64-Todd Bodine.
The eight drivers who failed to qualify: #28-Travis Kvapil [1st DNQ of season], #66-Dave Blaney [1st DNQ of season], #73-Mike Garvey, #41-Jeremy Mayfield [1st DNQ of season], #09-Sterling Marlin, #36-Scott Riggs [1st DNQ of season], #37-Tony Raines and #51-Dexter Bean [who wrecked on his run].
See the starting lineup, qualifying results on the Las Vegas Starting Lineup/Qualifying Page.(2-27-2009)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Kyle Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Shelby 427 with a lap of 29.033 seconds, 185.995mph, a new qualifying record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This is his fifth pole in 153 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and third top-10 start in 2009.
This is his second pole in six races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also won the pole in last year's Las Vegas race.
Kurt Busch (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2009 and his ninth in nine races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This marks the first time that the Busch brothers have occupied the front row in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
The last time brothers started from the front row of a NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 9, 2000.
Rusty Wallace won the pole at Martinsville Speedway. His brother, Kenny, qualified second.
Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is his third in three races this season.
Joey Logano (20th) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Twelve drivers broke Kasey Kahne’s March 9, 2007 qualifying record of 184.856 mph, 29.212 seconds.(NASCAR Statistics)(2-27-2009)

Qualifying Order for the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is posted. 51 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done. The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #5-Martin, the final top-35 driver scheduled is #12-Stremme. The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #41-Mayfield, the final driver scheduled to qualify is #13-Papis. See the full qualifying order on the Las Vegas Qualifying Page.(2-27-2009)

Friday Practice for the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is over, the top five were:
#5-Martin 184.313
#00-Reutimann 184.181
#12-Stremme 183.849
#48-Johnson 183.824
#29-Harvick 183.755
slowest: #51-Bean 177.626 and #18-Busch 177.977 [lost engine early]
penalty box: #88-Earnhardt Jr., #9-Kahne, #1-Truex jr. all had to sit on pit road for 15 minutes before practicing as they were late for tech inspection last week at Auto Club Speedway.
incidents: #77-Hornish Jr. smacked the turn 2 wall; #18-Busch lost an engine early in practice and the team is changing the engine, so Busch will have to fall to the rear of the field on Sunday no matter where he qualifies Friday.
For practice speeds, average speeds, laps run, see the Practice Speeds Page.(2-27-2009)

If it is the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:

#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][teams do NOT have have to attempt all races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Points [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners points standings [not in by rules 1-4]

Single File Restarts with 20 laps to go: NASCAR will use single-file lineups for restarts with 20 laps remaining in all three national series this year, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said today. The previous rule called for single-file restarts with only 10 laps remaining. All other restarts had lapped cars on the inside lane. NASCAR is still allowing for the first driver one-lap down [Lucky Dog] to get back on the lead lap until there are 10 laps left in the race. Pemberton said the rule was to allow the leaders more room to race following a caution in the waning laps. “We’ve been talking to the crews, teams and drivers and we felt like it was a time to make a change,” Pemberton said. “We haven’t taken away the lucky dog and haven’t hurt anybody from getting a lap back.”(SceneDaily)(2-12-2009) Comment here

Go or Go Home Drivers to Qualify Together: NASCAR announced in January that starting with the Cup race at California, teams outside the top 35 in owners points will be allowed to qualify together at the end of the qualifying session. The Nationwide and Truck Series used this procedure at Daytona. Sprint Cup didn't use the new procedure at Daytona due to the unique/somewhat complicated qualifying session/races there. The thought is that nobody would have an advantage in track conditions.

How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph

How to break a tie during qualifying? (same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings(not drivers).

Determining Race Line-Ups - Top 35 Guarantee: At the start of the 2005 season, NASCAR instituted a new procedure for establishing the starting race field in the Sprint Cup Series [NSCS]. NASCAR revamped the system by simplifying the procedure with teams no longer accruing provisionals throughout the season to gain entry into the starting fields. While starting positions one through 42 in the NSCS still will be determined by qualifying speed, the new system will assure the highest-ranked 35 positions of the NSCS OWNER [not Driver] championship points that have entered the event prior to the entry deadline [usually 13 days before the day of the race] one of those starting positions in the field, providing they have made an attempt to qualify [which usually means the team at least practiced and made an effort to qualify].
The remaining seven positions [36-42] will be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35. The final starting position [43rd] – the champion’s provisional – can be utilized by a car owner whose driver is a current or past Sprint Cup champion who participated as a driver during the current of previous season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline.
If there is more than one series champion vying for the position, it will be given to the most recent series champion. If the final provisional starting position – 43rd in the Sprint Cup – is not filled by a current or past series champion, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.
Through the first five races of the season for the Sprint Cup, the top 35 in the NSCS of the previous owner championship points entered in the event prior to the entry deadline will be assured one of the 42 starting positions in the field, provided they have made an attempt to qualify. From the sixth race on, the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top 35 each race week. In the event that conditions prevent qualifying from being run, starting positions will be assigned according to the respective series’ current Rule Book.(NASCAR PR)Simple: so the field is set by speed to where the 7th fastest non-top 35 driver is on speed. The any drivers in the top 35 of OWNERS [not drivers points] are placed to the 42nd spot. The 43rd spot is used for the most recent past Sprint Cup champion NOT already in the field from being in the top-35 in owners points or one of the seven no top-35. If their is not past champ for the 43rd spot, it goes to the next fastest [8th fastest driver]

Past Champions Limited To 6 Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: NASCAR announced an update to the past champion’s provisional rule in the Sprint Cup Series for 2007. Beginning this season, a past champion’s provisional may be used by an eligible driver a maximum of six times over the course of the season. In addition, a team with a past champion eligible driver may only use this provisional a maximum of six times during a season. Previously, there was no limit on usage of the past champion’s provisional over the course of the 36-race season. The provisional gives the eligible driver the 43rd and final starting position in the race field. "As NASCAR seeks to place more emphasis on competition, we have decided the time is right to limit the number of provisionals allowed,” said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. “We believe this revision brings the provisional policy in line with the continued growth of the sport.”(NASCAR PR)
This is only for a team/driver OUTSIDE the top-35 in owners points, drivers whose team is in the top-35 in owners points, would already be guaranteed in the field and not need the Past Champions Provisional.
See my 2009 Past Champions Provisional Page for more.

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
• The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR Camping World Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on March 1, 1998, won by Mark Martin.
• The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race was held on March 16, 1997, won by Jeff Green.
• The first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race was won by Jack Sprague on Nov. 3, 1996.
• There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Five drivers have participated in all 11 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
• Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole at Las Vegas (Feb. 27, 1998).
• Eight drivers have poles, led by Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne and Bobby Labonte (two each).
• Seven different drivers have won, led by Jimmie Johnson (three).
• Only four of the 11 races have been won from a top-10 starting position and none have been won from the pole.
• Four of the 11 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.
• There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Las Vegas: 2006 (270/267).
• Qualifying has never been canceled at Las Vegas.
• Matt Kenseth has a 9.0 average finish in nine Las Vegas races, the best of any driver with more than three starts. He has been running at the finish in all nine of those races and has finished on the lead lap in eight. Kenseth has also led 438 laps at Las Vegas – 179 more than any other driver.
• Roush Fenway Racing had five drivers finish in the top 10 in the inaugural Las Vegas 400 in 1998. In five of the 11 races, the winner at Las Vegas was driving for Roush at the time: Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Burton (1999 and 2000) and Matt Kenseth (2003 and 2004).
• There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Nevada, one at Las Vegas Park Speedway in 1955 and the rest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1996-Present).

#96 to carry 2nd name on car at Vegas: For the first time, the #96 Ask.com Ford scheme will include a name other than Bobby Labonte on the car. Ask.com has created an employee initiative program which awards outstanding employees with a space on the Hall of Fame Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry each week. This week’s employee is Steve Orr.(Yates Racing PR)(2-26-2009)

Energizer on the #42 at Las Vegas: The #42 Chevy of Juan Pablo Montoya will sport the Energizer paint scheme this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Crew Chief Brian Pattie and the #42 team will bring chassis #805 to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.(EGR PR)(2-26-2009)

USG returns on the #17 at Vegas: #17-Matt Kenseth will run the USG Sheetrock paint scheme on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first of three times this season. The other two USG Sheetrock races will be Chicago in July and Phoenix in Nov.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(2-26-2009)

Ambrose’s #47 Toyota to have new look at Las Vegas: the #47 Toyota will have a fiery new look at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as Kingsford Charcoal is the primary sponsor for Marcos Ambrose and the JTG-Daugherty Racing team in the Shelby 427. Kingsford Charcoal, which was created in the 1920’s, has been a proud sponsor of JTG-Daugherty Racing since 1998 and today is the most popular charcoal in America. Ambrose developed a relationship with the sponsor when he made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the #59 Kingsford entry owned by Tad and Jodi Geschickter at Daytona International Speedway in 2007. Now, Ambrose will carry the brand on his #47 Toyota for the big race on Sunday.(MWR/JTG-Daugherty Racing PR), see images of the scheme on my #47 Team Schemes page.(2-25-2009) Comment here

Harrah's to sponsor #44 at Las Vegas: Harrah’s will serve at the sponsor for the #44 Dodge of A.J. Allmendinger this weekend in Las Vegas. The team is looking for sponsorship to run the full season in 2009.(RPM PR)(2-24-2009)

LVMS officials urge race fans to use mass transit, alternate routes: More than any previous year, race fans attending Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend events are advised to use mass transportation or alternate routes due to a highway improvement project on Interstate 15. Although the ongoing road construction poses a level of inconvenience, Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials are once again working closely with the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Nevada Department of Transportation to ensure smooth entrance and exit during the weekend. Race fans who do drive to the speedway should arrive early and use alternate routes. Race fans living in Summerlin, Aliante and Southern Highlands are advised to use the 215 Beltway. Race fans coming from Henderson and areas east of the Strip should use Las Vegas Boulevard or Nellis Boulevard. Anyone on the Strip should still use Interstate 15. Speedway officials also are encouraging as many race fans as possible to use buses and shuttles for transportation to the races. Las Vegas Motor Speedway has secured two options for mass transportation to the speedway for the Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend. For those who have used the Citizens Area Transit (“CAT”) buses in the past, a new option is Coach America. Coach America will be filling many of the same routes as the CAT buses have in the past. Race fans can contact Coach America at nascar.coachamerica.com or (702) 948-7360. For those wishing to take a private charter to the races, LVMS recommends Key Tours. Key Tours has been providing service to the speedway for several years, and we vouch for the quality of its service. To reserve seats on either the Coach America or Key Tours buses, please go to www.LVMS.com and click on the “Getting to the Races” link in the NASCAR Weekend Quick Links box. For those who are not aware, federal legislation now prohibits government-funded transportation units from serving as a charter service when one or more private bus companies are willing to perform the service. As a result, the federally funded CAT buses in Las Vegas no longer can serve as a charter service to LVMS. The speedway will continue to crack down on the fraudulent use of handicapped placards. Speedway security will be checking the validity of handicapped passes on each vehicle. General parking is free at LVMS.(LVMS PR)(2-20-2009)

Helton among those to participate in LVMS “Fast Chats”: NASCAR President Mike Helton and #24-Jeff Gordon will be among the NASCAR personalities who field questions from race fans next week in Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s first “Fast Chats” program. There is no charge for race fans to attend Fast Chats as the lively question-and-answer sessions will take place on the LVMS midway, outside the entry gates. Others who will be “on the hot seat” for a 20-minute session include Las Vegas natives Kurt and Kyle Busch. “NASCAR is making a huge push to connect more with the race fans, and we’re taking that a step farther here in Las Vegas,” said LVMS President Chris Powell. “This is an opportunity for any race fan to ask a question of some of the sport’s key players. My guess is that the fans’ question likely will be more probing than those posed by members of the media.” Fast Chats will take place on the SPEED Stage on the LVMS midway at various times throughout the weekend. There will be multiple chats each day, and a complete schedule will be posted to the speedway’s website at www.lvms.com. A daily chat schedule will be posted near the SPEED Stage. A few tickets remain for the Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend. The action begins on Friday with zMAX Pole Day for the Sprint Cup Series. The Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race is Saturday, Feb. 28 and concludes with the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on Sunday, March 1. For tickets and information, log on to www.lvms.com or call 1-800-644-4444.(2-19-2009)

Las Vegas Strip to host NASCAR Hauler Parade on Feb. 26: In 2008, tens of thousands of people lined the Las Vegas Strip to watch the NASCAR team haulers parade down one of the country’s most famous streets. Due to the overwhelming enthusiasm for last year’s parade, the haulers are coming back this year. The 2009 edition of the NASCAR Hauler Parade will begin at 10:00am on Thursday, Feb. 26. The colorful NASCAR team haulers, transporting the Sprint Cup race cars that will compete later that week in the Shelby 427, will parade north on the Strip among the world’s most well-known hotels and casinos. The transporters will be staged at approximately 10:00am in the right lane of Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Russell Road. Once all trucks are lined up, the haulers will move north on Las Vegas Boulevard. The haulers will proceed the roughly five miles to Sahara Avenue before returning to Interstate 15 and the short ride north to the speedway. The speedway expects 48-50 haulers to take part in the parade, which will conclude with the haulers arriving at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in preparation for the March 1 Shelby 427. Race fans will be able to watch the hauler parade from both sides of the Strip and from any of the properties along Las Vegas Boulevard.(LVMS PR)(2-19-2009)

Las Vegas Motor Speedway dropping beverage prices by $1: In an effort to enhance the fan experience for the Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and its concessionaire, Levy Restaurants, have worked together to offer lower prices on various concessions items. “We realize that everyone is watching what they spend these days,” said LVMS president Chris Powell. “I’m pleased that we could reach an agreement with Levy Restaurants to lower some of our concession prices and provide a breakfast combo. We are taking several steps to make this year’s event more enjoyable for our race fans. Lower concessions prices will have a positive effect on everyone.” The price of all cold beverages (excluding cocktails) has been reduced for the 2009 Shelby 427 Sprint Cup Race weekend. Water, soft drinks and beer have been reduced by $1 at both the superspeedway and the Dirt Track. Additionally, the Midway concession stand will offer a special breakfast combo meal from 8:00am to 10:30am daily that includes a breakfast sandwich and coffee – for just $2. “In this current economic climate it’s more important than ever that we provide fans with a range of options and pricing that help fans continue to enjoy race day,” said Ian Orr, regional director of operations for Levy. “We’re happy to partner with the speedway on the unique and exclusive pricing of select menu items that are fan friendly”. Tickets are on sale for LVMS’s 2009 NASCAR Weekend and may be purchased by calling (702) 644-4444 or online at www.LVMS.com.(LVMS PR)(2-18-2009)

Las Vegas headliner Gordie Brown to entertain Shelby 427 crowd: Gordie Brown, a multi-talented impressionist, singer and entertainer, will headline the pre-race show prior to the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1. Brown, who starts a new show at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino this week, has spent the past year on a world tour with Celine Dion, where he has served as her opening act. Brown will perform for approximately 15 minutes immediately prior to the 1 p.m. introduction of drivers for the Shelby 427.
A few tickets remain for the Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend. Neon Garage, Lucky 7 Preferred Parking and driver introduction passes also are available. Please call 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com to get your tickets and passes today.(LVMS PR)(2-17-2009)

LVMS announces winner of “Vegas High Roller Sweepstakes” Las Vegas Motor Speedway would like to congratulate Peggy Herzog for winning the “Vegas High Roller Sweepstakes.” Herzog and her guest will enjoy the ultimate VIP experience during the 2009 NASCAR Weekend. She was chosen from more than 12,500 entries to enjoy complimentary tickets to the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race, travel and accommodations, Vegas show tickets, and more. “My husband and I are so excited to be coming out for the NASCAR Weekend are looking forward to experiencing a NASCAR race like never before,” said Herzog. “I have been to Vegas before, but this visit will be a whole new and exciting trip that will be very special for me.” To thank everyone for their participation in the sweepstakes, LVMS is offering each entrant two tickets to the Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday, Feb. 28. A few tickets remain for the Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend. Neon Garage, Lucky 7 Preferred Parking and driver introduction passes also are available. Please call 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com to get your tickets and passes today.(LVMS PR)(2-10-2009)

Open audition to determine national anthem singer for Sam’s Town 300: One aspiring singer will get the opportunity of a lifetime before the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, the race sponsor, as well as FOX 5 TV, are staging an open audition called Speedway Superstar to find a singer to perform the national anthem prior to the Feb. 28 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at LVMS. The first audition will be conducted Saturday, Jan. 24 at Sam’s Town on Boulder Highway. All performers must sing the national anthem a cappella. The top 25 singers on Jan. 24 will advance to the next round of competition on Saturday, Feb. 7. On that day, the top five will have their performances shown on FOX 5 the following week with the winner being chosen by a viewer vote as well as a panel of judges. The Jan. 24 auditions will begin at 10 a.m. Anyone wishing to audition must arrive at Sam’s Town before noon on Jan. 24. For more information on the competition see LVMS.com,(LVMS PR)(1-20-2009)

“Earnhardt & Elvis” car to debut Feb. 27 at LVMS: Race fans attending Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Feb. 27-March 1 NASCAR Weekend will enjoy an added attraction as Motorsports Authentics, along with Elvis Presley Enterprises and Dale Earnhardt Inc., will unveil its new “Earnhardt & Elvis” car in the Neon Garage on Friday, Feb. 27. The “Earnhardt and Elvis” car, which features The King of Rock and Roll on the hood of the Intimidator’s famous #3 Chevrolet, is the third car in the Enduring Legends Series from Motorsports Authentics and Dale Earnhardt Inc. The series is in its second year and has been very well received by both NASCAR fans and collectors. Last year, Earnhardt was paired with American legends Johnny Cash and John Wayne. The worldwide unveiling of the “Earnhardt & Elvis” car will take place in LVMS’s Neon Garage during zMAX Pole Day and could include family members and friends of both the Earnhardt and Presley families. In addition, NASCAR fans also will be treated to a unique Elvis experience that will transform the Neon Garage into a Memphis music studio. For more information about the Enduring Legends Series, fans can log onto rccamembers.com or tune into SIRIUS’ “NASCAR Collector” every Saturday morning from 7-9 am EST on SIRIUS Channel 128. See full post at LVMS.com. See full PR on my Collectors News page.(1-16-2009)

Las Vegas SCC to make grants during track tree lighting ceremony: The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities will host its annual Grant Distribution and Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 6pm, in the media center in the infield of the superspeedway. The Las Vegas Chapter will grant $290,000 to 57 local children’s charities at the ceremony. The list of grant recipients includes: Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer of Southern Nevada, I Have a Dream Foundation Inc., Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, Miracle Flights for Kids, Las Vegas Sun Summer Camp, Positively Kids, and Shade Tree. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and children from all 57 organizations are scheduled to attend the event. The evening’s festivities will include a performance by the Culture Shock Las Vegas inner city dance troupe and local vocalist Malia Civetz. Santa Claus also is scheduled to make an appearance and Chris Powell, LVMS’s president and general manager, will light the traditional SCC holiday tree. Fundraising events for the 2008 season included the Mel Larson Night of Champions (which honored Dr. Dale Carrison), the 10th annual NASCAR Driver Auction at Sam’s Town Live!, the chapter’s sixth annual golf tournament, and the fifth annual Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament at the Cannery Hotel & Casino.(LVMS PR)(11-30-2008)

Las Vegas 2009 Test Dates Announced: Las Vegas Motor Speedway has set 2009 test dates for both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. The Nationwide cars will test on the 1.5-mile superspeedway on Wednesday, Jan. 28 and Thursday, Jan. 29. NASCAR has not announced a testing policy for the Sprint Cup teams for next year, but LVMS will be available to all Sprint Cup teams on Monday, Jan. 26 and Tuesday, Jan. 27 if testing is allowed by NASCAR. Race teams who test at LVMS will be preparing for the March 1 Shelby 427 Sprint Cup Series race and the Feb. 28 Sam’s Town 300 Nationwide Series event. Tickets for the 2009 NASCAR Weekend are on sale now by calling 1-800-644-4444 or logging on to www.lvms.com. Passes for the Neon Garage, driver introductions and Lucky 7 Preferred parking also are available.(LVMS PR)(11-12-2008)

Las Vegas Cup race gets new name; longer race: The Sprint Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 2009 will be sponsored by Shelby Automobiles. The event will be lengthened to 427 miles and will be called the "Shelby 427." Together, LVMS and Shelby will market a Las Vegas Motor Speedway Limited Edition Shelby 427 package for the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. LVMS President Chris Powell and Shelby Automobiles founder Carroll Shelby made the announcement Wednesday at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. "We are ecstatic to have the legendary Shelby name on our 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup race," Powell said. "It's a tremendous opportunity for us to give added exposure to the Shelby brand that has, over the years, become synonymous with the best in high-performance cars." Bruton Smith, founder and CEO of LVMS parent company Speedway Motorsports, and Carroll Shelby have been friends for many years. "We are thrilled to combine the efforts of our two companies in this sponsorship," Smith said. "Carroll and his team have long been known for the high quality of their work and the tremendous popularity of their cars."
Carroll Shelby has driven and designed race and sports cars for more than 50 years. His company, Shelby Automobiles, located its manufacturing facility at the speedway complex as the anchor tenant in 1998. The company uses the oval and road courses for its research and development. This is the first time Shelby Automobiles has sponsored a NASCAR event. "The Shelby name will be forever linked to racing because of our unrivaled success in competition over the years," said Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Automobiles. "The Ford Shelby Mustang programs have allowed us to begin exploring motorsports options again. While we determine the series best suited to our products, we wanted to raise our profile in the racing community, and the NASCAR race next to our campus presented the ideal opportunity. Shelby was the first small American sports car and muscle car manufacturer to win world championships, and now we're the first to sponsor a NASCAR race."
"We're thrilled to have our name on the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Shelby 427," Carroll Shelby said. "From drag racing to Formula 1, I've been involved in just about every type of motor racing except NASCAR. I love the competition, passion and excitement of the fans and teams in NASCAR. We're offering real enthusiasts an opportunity to be part of something really special through this program."
Since its inception in 1998, the Sprint Cup race at LVMS has been run at a length of 400.5 miles, which is 267 laps around the 1.5-mile oval. In order to accommodate the new event name, the race will be increased by 27 miles and will feature 285 laps.
As part of the one-year race sponsorship, Shelby Automobiles will market a Las Vegas Motor Speedway Limited Edition Shelby 427 package for the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. Owners of 2007 and 2008 Shelby GT500s with the post title Super Snake package on their muscle car can purchase the limited edition "pace car" upgrade on a first-come, first-served basis by emailing shelby427@lvms.com. Shelby enthusiasts may have their names added to a waiting list for the package by emailing shelbywaitinglist@lvms.com. The upgraded package will include Mr. Shelby's personal autograph as well as many other event-related add-ons. Only 427 of these packages will be available through Shelby Automobiles. Those who purchase a Shelby 427 package will also receive special race tickets and other amenities, including the opportunity to serve as the race's honorary starter.
The 2009 NASCAR Weekend will kick off with qualifying for the Shelby 427 Sprint Cup Series race on Friday, Feb. 27. The Sam's Town 300 Nationwide Series race is set for Saturday, Feb. 28. Tickets for all 2009 events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including the Shelby 427 on March 1, can be purchased by calling 1-800-644-444 or online at www.lvms.com.(LVMS PR)(11-5-2008)

New SAFER barrier installed along LVMS backstretch: Construction crews spent much of this week installing SAFER barrier along the inside wall of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway back straightaway. "Speedway Motorsports is committed to driver safety at all of its speedways," said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "Following this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup event, we consulted with NASCAR officials and our own engineers. We all agreed that installing the barrier on the backstretch was the proper course of action." During this year's Sprint Cup event at LVMS, #24-Jeff Gordon made contact with the wall in the area that is now protected by the SAFER barrier. The final panels of the barrier were put in place Thursday morning. The new SAFER barrier covers 1,700 feet of the inside backstretch wall. SAFER barriers now cover 7,800 feet of the retaining walls around the 1.5-mile superspeedway. The first event on the superspeedway with the new barrier will be the Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350 Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday, Sept. 20.(LVMS PR)(8-22-2008)

Notes: Teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be running the same right-side tire code (D-4234) as those in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Las Vegas this weekend, though they will be running a different left-side code (D-4232) . . . this is a brand new combination of left- and right-side tires for Sprint Cup teams . . . compared to the Las Vegas tire set-up last year, this left-side has a softer tread compound for more grip, while this right-side features a construction change for enhanced handling . . . this tire set-up came out of a test at Las Vegas with drivers Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, David Stremme and Brian Vickers in December . .. . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Las Vegas . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

DRIVER/TEAM/TESTING NEWS

Golden Corral back to sponsor the #28:Golden Corral, America's favorite family buffet and grill restaurant chain, is extending its NASCAR involvement and has signed on to sponsor Yates Racing driver #28-Travis Kvapil for the next three Sprint Cup Series races [Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol in March]. It will also continue its "Race for America's Families" promotion. Each time Kvapil posts a top 10 finish, Golden Corral will give every kid in America a free buffet* as well as make a $5,000 donation to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). "Golden Corral was thrilled to sponsor Travis in the Daytona 500 and our customers, employees and veterans across the country told us they were pulling for him, too," said Chris Kuehn, chief marketing officer of Golden Corral. "We decided to extend our sponsorship because the response reinforced that this is a perfect fit for our brand and the start of the season is a great time of year to be involved in NASCAR."(Chainleader.com), see images of the car on my #28 Team Schemes.(2-27-2009)

Robby gets assoc sponsor for Vegas: Jim Beam will serve as the primary sponsor of Robby Gordon's #7 Toyota for Sunday’s 285-lap event. In addition to MAPEI and Menards, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will also serve as an associate sponsor this weekend.(RGM PR)(2-27-2009)

Red Bank Outfitters to stay with #36 team thru Vegas: After receiving a large amount of media exposure during the Daytona 500 and Auto Club 500, Red Bank Outfitters has decided to continue its sponsorship of Tommy Baldwin Racing through the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. TBR finished 25th as an underdog in the Daytona 500 and crossed the finish line 36th last weekend after a mechanical failure ended a strong run during the Auto Club 500. Scott Riggs and the #36 Toyota is currently 32nd in the 2009 Sprint Cup point standings. “I am extremely happy that Red Bank Outfitters has decided to continue its sponsorship of TBR,” said Tommy Baldwin, owner and crew chief of the #36 entry. “I think it shows how impressed they have been by the amount of exposure they have received over the past couple of weeks.”(TBR/Everest Marketing Group PR)(2-26-2009) Comment here

Gunselman, Bodine's start new Cup team: Journeyman driver Larry Gunselman is the latest to make an attempt at the Cup Series dream in 2009 as the Washington native has formed a team for himself and a pair of veteran brothers, Geoff and Todd Bodine. Gunselman, who won races in the old Winston West Series and its most popular driver award in 1996 before traveling east in 2000 to seek his racing fortunes, is the principal in the team that will field #64 Toyotas. He said Wednesday morning he's backed by a group of investors who are new to the sport and is still seeking primary sponsorship. "Right now we're looking at running for purse money while we try to come up with sponsorship dollars," Gunselman said. "The more sponsor dollars you get, the harder you can run. I tell people all the time, if you don't have money, you've got to race smart, and you can race hard if you do have money." If a team had been able to make all 36 Cup races last season and finish in the least-paying position, it would have won $2,880,640 in purse money. Gunselman has six Camrys -- three each that were purchased from Bill Davis Racing and Red Bull Racing -- and Wednesday he'd just come from the NASCAR R&D Center with his crew chief "for as long as I can keep him," former champion Doug Richert, and the second chassis they'd had certified. Gunselman, who has previous Cup team ownership experience from when he fielded the #98 Mach 1 Motorsports cars in 2004 with Chris Edwards, made 26 of 36 races and finished 39th in the owner standings, said to start the season attempting the races was critical. "There are so many people out of work out there right now that I believe the whole industry is going through a major correction factor -- the whole economy of the United States is going through a correction factor at the moment," Gunselman said. "There's an opportunity for a guy who's willing to go out there and take advantage of an opportunity and find a good group of people who really want to race, and we've got that. I think the current economic conditions are going to weed a lot of people out of our sport that didn't get in it for the right reason to begin with, and the real racers are going to figure out a way to survive and come out of this economic situation still involved in the sport."
While the team wasn't sure who'd be in its car for Speedweeks, when the #64 will attempt to make the Daytona 500 as a "go-or-go-home" car, Gunselman said Todd Bodine would definitely drive at Fontana and Las Vegas, the second and third races on the schedule. Bodine is the 2006 Truck Series champion, who also has 15 wins in the Nationwide Series and 228 Cup starts, with five poles, seven top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Geoff Bodine, who won the 1986 Daytona 500, 18 Cup races, six in the Nationwide Series and hundreds of Modified races -- but who hasn't made a NASCAR national touring start since 2005, when he made eight starts in the Nationwide Series, may run at Daytona. Gunselman, 48, most recently made spot starts in all of NASCAR's national tours -- including 20 in the '08 Nationwide and Truck series.(NASCAR.com)(1-29-2009) Comment here

Kvapil to run at least first five races..then: Yates Racing is committed to running the first five Sprint Cup races with #28-Travis Kvapil, with any races of the season beyond that still to be determined, team general manager Max Jones said Thursday.
Jones said he hopes that sponsorship can be found, much like the team did last year when it ran an unsponsored car in several races and had several occasional primary sponsors. While optimistic that recent talks with potential sponsors will come through, Jones said the team doesn’t intend to run the team unsponsored the entire year. Kvapil’s crew chief will be Ben Leslie, who will also continue in his position as Ford Racing’s NASCAR field manager. Todd Parrott was going to be Kvapil’s crew chief, but he – and his entire team – is going to work with #96-Bobby Labonte, whose Hall of Fame Racing team will be operated by Yates Racing in a deal announced last week. Kvapil will have no points to fall back on in getting into the first five races. His points from 2008, when he finished 23rd in the driver standings, went to #98-Paul Menard, who brought sponsorship to the team.(SceneDaily)(1-23-2009) Comment here

Menard to get owners pts from other Yates team UPDATE 38 to 96; 28 to 98: from a NASCAR Press Conference at Daytona for the Fanfest. NASCAR Ramsey Poston asked the questions: Has any determination been made at Yates what the point affiliation will be for your team? Are you going to start from scratch? Are you going to get one of the other cars on points, and is there more concern or more excitement about starting out the year with a totally new bunch and how critical is it going to be to gel quickly with that group?
PAUL MENARD [#98 Menard's Ford]: As far as I know we're getting points so we'll be locked in. I'm not sure if it's #28 or #38 points, but one of them will slide over.(NASCAR PR)(1-17-2009)UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing today the #96 Ask.com Ford Fusion and Bobby Labonte as the manufacturers’ wild card entry into the famed Budweiser Shootout following NASCAR’s rule change on Friday. “The #96 joined the Ford family at the right time,” said Hall of Fame Racing Co-Owner, Tom Garfinkel. “We’re pleased to get Hall of Fame and Ask.com into the Shootout and have an early chance to start working towards solid top-five and top-10 finishes this season. We are pleased to be working with Bobby Labonte and Yates Racing and look forward to seeing this combination of talent come together for the first time in the Shootout.” Labonte and the #96 will also receive Yates Racing points from the #38, piloted by David Gilliland in 2008. The transfer will put the #96 in 27th position going into the Daytona 500 in February. Yates Racing’s #98 Menards Ford Fusion will start the 2009 season in 23rd position after a points transfer from the #28. Paul Menard will drive the machine for the full 2009 season. Travis Kvapil will start the season as a fresh entry in the #28 Yates Racing Ford. Sponsorship opportunities are available; please contact Jon Sands with Yates Racing at 704-720-4621.(Yates Racing PR)(1-19-2009) Comment here

See the 2009 Team Chart, which has links to past news for each team and info on each team.